The invention relates to quick-opening valve mechanism for release of pressurized gas to suppress a fast-developing fire or explosion, as from ignition of a hydrocarbon or the like fuel.
Valves of the character indicated and their environment of specific use are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,315, which is incorporated herein by reference. In such valves, a piston or poppet-valve member is retained by mechanical-latch mechanism in its readiness condition, normally closing off pressurized liquified suppressant gas against release for fast discharge via a discharge port. Latch release is via short-displacement, low-friction, low-inertia direct action which is independent of the pressure differential across the valve member. Latch-release is electrically initiated in response to the output of a suitable detector, or latch release may be manually initiated.
In order to assure utmost effectiveness of one or a plurality of suppressant-charged valve systems of the character indicated, it is important to provide a telemetered or other remote indication, as by indicator-lamp illumination, (1) of the fact that suppressant-gas pressure may have leaked to a value below a predetermined threshold of fire-suppressing capability, and (2) of the fact of fire-suppressing discharge. The first of these facts need only be ascertained by a relatively slow-response device; but the second of these facts requires an extremely rapid response (in the order of a few milliseconds) so that if a first of a plurality of fire-suppressing valve discharges is insufficient to quench a detected fire (or if this first valve malfunctions and fails to discharge in response to a firing signal), a next-succeeding fire-suppressing valve system can be almost immediately enabled for firing-signal actuation.